Lawsuit seeks to push Minneapolis DFL Ward 2 convention back to June

The DFL originally scheduled the Ward 2 convention for May 3, but didn’t have a location secured. On April 8, the party held precinct caucuses, where delegates were elected to ward conventions and a city convention, where candidates run for the party’s endorsement.

The lawsuit claims the turnout for the Ward 2 precinct caucus was so high that the planned location for its convention was deemed too small, and the party was unable to find a big enough venue for May 3.

After consulting with the Minneapolis DFL Executive Committee, chair Conrad Zbikowski, canceled the May 3 convention and rescheduled it for June 7 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota campus, the lawsuit says. After learning that is the date of the Muslim holiday Eid, Zbikowski rescheduled the convention to June 1. Zbikowski resigned Wednesday from his position due to the litigation, saying he was threatened with a lawsuit over the convention.

But last week, the Minneapolis DFL’s executive committee voted to move the convention back to May 3 “in response to Wonsley’s demands,” the suit said. The committee mailed notices to delegates and alternates alerting them to the new date. The lawsuit contends the committee violated its own rules in doing so.

One of the members of the committee and former Minneapolis DFL chair, Briana Rose Lee, said in a statement that keeping the May 3 date will allow every delegate to participate fairly.